Absorbent soils, such as clays, exemplified by bentonite, fuller's earth, and various colloidal aluminum silicates, as well as diatomaceous earth, have been widely used as animal litter material, particularly in view of the relatively low cost thereof. However, such soils have certain recognized disadvantages. One critical drawback has been the recognition that such soils are not efficacious in controlling or suppressing the odor of waste material deposited thereon. To overcome this deficiency, efforts have been made to mix with the soil an odor suppressing agent as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,797. Therein a clay, such as bentonite, is intermixed with ground and screened alfalfa, being held together by a binder. Thereafter, the mixture is pelletized. The chlorophyll in the alfalfa is intended to provide odor control. A similar admixture is revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,734 wherein a deodorizing agent, such as chlorophyll and other compounds, is added to absorbent soil and mixed therein for uniform distribution. Thus, the attempts to the present time to provide deodorizing capability to a litter comprised fundamentally of a soil, such as clay, have entailed the integration of the deodorizing agent within the body of the clay and even to the extent of being bound therein.
However, these expedients have not proved efficient in practice for numerous reasons; one being that the odor suppressant as embodied within the clay does not exhibit its expected level of capability since for some reason a repression of this capacity develops as a result of admixing. Additionally, the same do not serve to inhibit in any fashion the recognized tendency of the clay to develop a muddy character upon use, nor to impede undesired caking. Thus, such mixtures do not eliminate adherence to the paws or fur of the animal with resultant untidy tracking throughout the area adjacent the litter, nor facilitate receptacle cleanliness because of caking.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an expedient for potentiating or enhancing the capacity of absorbent soil, such as clay, to provide economically the range of characteristics desired in an animal litter and, thus, render such soils all the more attractive to purchasers for use as animal litters.
It is another object of the present invention to provide as a potentiating agent for absorbent soil-type litters consisting of cedar in particulate form for providing a discrete bed or foundation for the absorbent soil; with increased effective life of the soil and relatively enhanced odor inhibiting qualities.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a litter potentiating agent for absorbent soil litters consisting of comminuted cedar which is utilized as a discrete base for the absorbent soil, being in unbound and unmixed relationship thereto so that the average purchaser may simply dispense a quantity of the preselected absorbent soil converingly over the cedar base for the formation of discrete, physically independent strata of absorbent soil and cedar, and without the necessity of any further action whatever.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an animal litter which consists of but only the preselected absorbent soil and comminuted or particulate cedar disposed to present distinct strata, with the absorbent soil in overlying or surmounting relationship to the cedar and being substantially of relatively greater thickness or depth.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method for forming an animal litter by the individual purchaser which permits the utilization of inexpensive absorbent soil and particulate cedar; and which two constituents effectively inhibit caking of the soil while causing odor control to a degree well advanced beyond that expected with customary litter preparations involving soils.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an animal litter which may be most inexpensively prepared; which extends the life of the preselected absorbent soil; which increases the absorbency of the soil; and which is economical and reliable in usage.